CANADA IMMIGRATION NEWS AND TIPS

  Dear Miss Powell, Thank you for your articles about Canada. I look forward to reading them each week. My situation is this: I receive confirmation of permanent residence and because of the lockdown, I haven’t been able to go to Canada. What can I do? I already left my job and have been living off the savings that I wanted to take to Canada. I even had COVID while waiting. Will I be permitted into Canada? What can I do? I look forward to your response in The Gleaner. – G.R. Dear G.R., Congratulations on receiving a confirmation of permanent residence (COPR). I am sorry to hear that you got the COVID-19 virus. I trust that you are now fully recovered and do not have any symptoms or complications. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on June 22 that travel restrictions have been lifted for some individuals, including individuals who have unexpired COPR. This does not include individuals arriving directly from India. If an individual from India is coming to Canada via an indirect ...

CLICK THIS LINK TO BOOK YOUR APPOINTMENT NOW   Dear Miss Powell, I am a Jamaican living in the USA, and I was wondering if Canada has lifted the hotel quarantine restrictions on persons who are fully vaccinated? Do we still need to provide a negative PCR test? My family and I have not seen our grandmother in two years, and we promised her that we would visit as soon as the restrictions have been lifted. Is it better to fly or drive? We prefer to fly as driving could take us close to 12 hours. I look forward to hearing from you. – M.W. Dear M.W., Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced recently that the government is looking at a “phased-in approach” to allowing cross-border travel into Canada. However, the border remains closed to non-essential travel. Only a few categories of persons will be allowed into Canada until further notice. There is a list of permitted travellers posted on the government’s websites  www.Canada.ca   or  www.travel.gc.ca .   Individuals ...

  Dear Ms Powell, I   rely on your articles to help me with understanding Canada’s immigration rules. I now have an urgent matter. My son got through to study as an international student for a Canadian school. Due to corona, the government said that he could stay home and study online for up to six months. We were planning for him to go to Canada to finish up then out of the blue, no flights to Canada and more travel restrictions. We are already making a sacrifice for our son to have a better life in Canada, and we were advised that this was the best route. Now with these restrictions, we are wondering if he would qualify to live in Canada if he doesn’t get to finish up his studies and get Canadian work experience. What is my best course of action as nobody seems to be answering the phones at the embassy? I look forward to seeing my answer in The Gleaner. Thank you. – Concerned Mother Dear Concerned Mother, The government of Canada is constantly monitoring the pandemic, the si...

  Dear Miss Powell, I am confused. I am stressed. I am fed up with Canada’s unclear and sudden policies. I’ve booked a flight to go to my husband, who is living outside of Toronto, and now I hear that there are no flights to Toronto. This is the second time I’m attempting to visit my husband and the flight is cancelled. I thought that Canada was about family reunification. Does the government consider what it is doing to families? To make things worse, we are not even clear about what is essential travel and what is not. How do I get to my husband? I need to be with him in these stressful times. – G.L. Dear G.L., Over the last few weeks, I have been inundated with the same questions and complaints from individuals who are frustrated. However, the reality is that we are all dealing with a pandemic and the situation is evolving daily, as new variants of COVID-19 threaten the people of Canada and the economy. As a result, the Canadian government announced that effective February 3, 20...

Dear Miss Powell, M y sister is s ick in Ontario and she is be gging me to visit her. I already have a valid visa, so I am not worried about that. I’m just so confused about what to do during this pandemic, as the policies seems to be changing all the time. I want to be there for my sister. However, I’m not sure I can deal with the added stress. Do you think it’s safe to travel at this time? What are the things I need to do to have a safe trip? – W.P. Dear W.P., Travelling during the pandemic is not for the faint at heart. Apart from the standard requirement of wearing a mask while travelling, you must take note of the new travel restrictions, which will require some planning and preparation. If you are travelling to Canada, you should be aware that there are new COVID-19 restrictions that you must adhere to. I will outline below the steps to follow to ensure that your travel experience is a little less stressful. PRE-DEPARTURE You must first check if you are authorised to enter Canada...

  Dear Miss Powell, I’m so stressed. My study permit was approved and I’ve been doing classes online, but I’m worried that this won’t be good enough, and I may not do well in my exams. This is unfair to us international students, as we pay so much for our tuition fees. Do you know when the borders will be open for international students to come in? – A.S. Dear A.S., I understand your frustration. Many persons who have received study permits, work permits, visitor’s visa and confirmation of permanent residence are asking the same questions. The government of Canada has been making decisions based on the evolving situation in Canada and the world, with the aim of protecting Canadians and those authorised to enter Canada. The situation is constantly changing, and so my advice is based on the situation at the time of writing this article. TRAVEL EXEMPTIONS AND RESTRICTIONS The department of Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship (IRCC) announced that “starting October 20, 2020, designate...